pumpkin muffins for my pumpkin muffin

one of my favorite pet names for chris is 'pumpkin muffin.'  :) even though zucchini nut muffins are probably his favorite variety, he and elijah are both muffin monsters and will devour a dozen of any kind in no time!  (elijah begs for 'muff-muff!' haha!)  i try and keep a steady supply of muffins in our freezer and fridge so that chris can grab one on the go before his 5am bike ride to the bearded brothers kitchen. we also eat muffins as a snack or as an addition to a breakfast smoothie, so i try and keep them as nutritious as possible and less like a dessert. 


if you want them more dessert-like, add more sugar or sprinkle some on top with some cinnamon before baking for a crystallized topping. who says pumpkin inspired food is just for fall?? we eat these year round! yum!


1 1/4cups whole spelt flour
1/4 cup flax meal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 can pumpkin puree
1/3 cup coconut oil
2 large eggs (i used 1 egg + 1 egg replacer bc i was low on eggs)
1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt


1 cup chopped nuts (hazelnuts or pecans are great)

preheat oven to 350. grease muffin pans or put down liners. 

mix the wet ingredients in one bowl, and the dry in another. then mix together.lastly, fold in nuts. 

spoon into cups and bake for about 25 min, depending on your oven.

crazy is in my blood. oh and fudge too!

my mom, lorilee, and i have always had a difficult relationship, to say the least. i praise the Lord that after all we've been through, He is helping to heal us both and build a healthier connection as mother and daughter. i see His grace and love at work all the time in this, and in particular this time at christmas, my mom presented me with an old wooden box with some delicious, dark chocolate homemade fudge/candy inside.

she told me it was a special box to her, because her father, lawrence, (who was killed when she was a baby) had saved up his pennies as a young boy and bought it for his mama (her beloved 'grandma welleye') who gave it to her as a teenager. i want to say it came with some chocolate candies inside, and after they had been eaten up, grandma welleye would make her own and put it in this box. now the box is on my dresser and i use it to put my supplements in, that way i can enjoy using it everyday.

my mom now wanted to pass down the family recipe to me, so we donned our aprons and got to work in the kitchen as she taught me how to carefully make the fudge. along the way, i asked her lots of questions about grandma welleye and that side of the family that lived in mississippi that i have never known. the stories she told were of scandal and hardships, some that would make a really great drama! my mom said that her grandma was very sweet to her, but that she had quite a temper and would get easily frustrated and throw tantrums. she said that welleye was teased a lot as a child for being heavyset ('well-eee, well-eee, big fat belly!' the kids would chant), that she had been sexually abused at some point, and that she was just kinda emotionally disturbed. wow. the apples really don't fall far from the tree! (for my mom AND me!)

welleye's father (last name dunn) had been in prison for charges of killing the sherrif (not sure if he was truly guilty or not, but knowing my family, it probably was!) and his buddies helped bust him out of jail and had a plane waiting to escape to mexico. his wife drove their car to the meeting spot at the plane to join her rebel husband, leaving her kids, including welleye, behind. on the way there, welleye's mom was in a terrible crash, and she was taken back to their log cabin where she died soon after. her husband skipped the plane ride to be at home with his dying wife, when the police surrounded their log cabin home. they began shooting at the house with tommy guns, so welleye's dad ran out of the house and was shot and killed before his children's eyes. welleye and her siblings were then taken in by relatives down the road. no wonder she was a little disturbed.

she later went on to marry 'grandpa lewis' who was a pastor and a gentle, calm man. they had a yin-yang sort of marriage, where he was a rock to her storm. they had trouble having kids and only had lawrence, (my mom's dad), who died young in a bar fight in pasadena, tx shortly after marrying my grandma sandy and having my mom. when my mom was a teenager, she went to go live with them for a couple of years, and fondly remembers those times in Mississippi.

i do remember meeting my great grandpa lewis a couple of times at their mississippi home near philadelphia on dunn road, and remember him being a nice man, but he was very old at that time and i was too young to remember much. funny thing is, i do remember that we opened one of the drawers in his kitchen to find a long molting of snake scales! no one could sleep that night! when he died, kristy and i went with my mom to his funeral, but we didn't know anyone else in the family. apparently my mom was not well liked by those family members and she doesn't have many nice things to say about them either. but that's all a story i haven't heard yet.

oh yeah so back to the fudgy candy. ours turned out good, but not as great as the batch she made for me. i have a lot to learn in candy making i guess! this recipe is not healthy as it is, but maybe one day i'll try and experiment with healthier substitutions. but it's meant to be a treat enjoyed once a year, so i'll just eat the sugar and not complain about it. instead i'll eat it and think of my crazy great grandma welleye and how even though my mom and i may have her same fury running through our veins, we can overcome through Christ our Healer.

-2 cups sugar

-4 tbsp dark cocoa powder

-2 tbsp flour

-1 cup milk

-1tbsp corn syrup

find a container that is wide enough to set your skillet flat in. maybe a wide sink, pan or bucket. fill an inch or two with ice water that is more ice than water. that will later be used to quickly cool the hot skillet of fudge.

also prepare a glass of ice cold water to test the fudge for readiness towards the end.

butter your skillet and a platter or pan to roll your fudge out on when its all said and done.

put your skillet on medium heat. mix the dry ingredients together in the skillet with wooden spoon, then add the wet. you want to keep scraping the sides and bottom, stirring constantly. keep at it until it boils for a little bit. as sugar crystals stay or form on the edge, wipe them off with a paper towel so that you don't get sugar chunks in your fudge.

now when it gets to the boiling point, you want to put a drop of the chocolate into the glass of ice water and see what happens. if it forms a more fudgy, harder mass, then it's done. if it stays pretty liquid like, then keep heating and stirring. modern day chefs would probably say use a candy thermometer but that's not grandma welleye's way!

when it's done, put the skillet on top of the icy water. now use your muscles and keep stirring cause it's about to harden up quick. it helps to have a partner when you need to tap out cause your arm is burning.

when its thickened up into a ball like form, put it on the buttered platter and flatten out with wax paper and a rolling pin. you want it to be about a quarter inch thick. cut into squares.

eat and think of grandma welleye.

yeast free whole wheat bread

my friend kristy p and i made this bread together and had a lot of fun doing it, as well as eating the fruits of our labor! someday soon im going to try to make a wheat free version for chris and see what he thinks. i'll let ya know!

preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease up a loaf pan.

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar (or honey)

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1tsp salt

1 1/2 cups buttermilk (i soured my own milk by letting it sit in a couple tbsp of vinegar)

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 oil (i melted coconut oil)

stir until just mixed, careful not to over do it. pour into pan and bake for 40-50 min.

mmm...warm bread!

grandma libby's texas-sized cookies

my grandma libby makes really good food, but usually it tastes so good because it's soooo bad! haha! she made these huge delicious cookies for my cousin's baby shower and i just had to get the recipe and try to make them wheat free and with as wholesome ingredients as possible for christopher. the original recipe is out of the houston paper and they are called 'texas governor's mansion cowboy cookies.' oh my stars, that's too many words for me, so i just call them 'grandma's cookies.' haha! these treats' ingredients are as diverse as texas' landscape, so feel free to get creative with the mix-ins and substitute for craisins, white chocolate, peanut butter morsels, currants, or whatever you have in your pantry.

i want to go ahead and post the original recipe, but i'll put my additions/changes out to the side. that way if you don't care about health and just want to make some party pleasing cookies, you'll know what to do. saddle up, partner, here we go!

1 1/2 cups butter, room temp (or half butter, half coconut oil)

1 1/2 cups sugar (palm sugar = lower glycemic)

1 1/2 cups brown sugar (only 1 cup of brown sugar.)

3 eggs (i ran out of eggs, so i used vegan egg replacer)

1 tbsp vanilla

+

3 cups all-purpose flour (2 cups whole spelt, 1 cup brown rice flour)

1 tbsp baking powder (aluminum free)

1 tbsp baking soda

1 tsp salt (sea salt)

1 tbsp cinnamon

2 cups sweetened shredded coconut (i used unsweetened)

3 cups old fashioned rolled oats

2 cups chopped pecans

3 cups semisweet chocolate chips --my grandma made an awesome version with half reg. and then half white chocolate chips. they were awesome! i used dark chocolate covered cacao nibs)

preheat oven to 350 degrees.

beat butter on medium speed about 1 minute. add sugars, beat until fluffy (about 3 minutes).

add eggs one at a time. add vanilla. stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt until combined. add chocolate chips, oats, coconut and pecans.

everything's bigger in texas

for each cookie, drop 1/2 cups dough on creased cookie sheet, spacing 3 inches apart. bake 17-20 minutes, until lightly golden. you can make smaller cookies, but adjust your cooking time accordingly. i made mine smaller and they turned out great, but not as good as grandma's. :)

grab a mug of milk and get to dunkin'.

spelt pancakes

good morning!

this is the day that the Lord has made!

have fun and keep a happy heart today!

now that you are chipper and wearing your cute apron, it's time to get to work to feed those hungry bellies!

this makes a big ol batch of pancakes, perfect for a big family or to save for another morning. i have subbed other flours for the spelt in the past, or done a mixture of spelt + buckwheat or rice flour and it has turned out great. similarly, you can sub cow milk for almond milk, butter for coconut oil, or just forget the flax meal and add some more flour. just use what you have on hand and what suits your tastes. that's the crazykaye way to cook!

4 cups whole spelt flour

2 tbsp aluminum free baking powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp golden flax meal

2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

+

3 cups almond milk

2 eggs

1/2 cup water

4 tbsp melted/soft coconut oil

4 tsp vanilla (optional)

sometimes i'll mix in chopped pecans &/or fruit like blueberries or apples. anyway you can sneak in more nutrition into the kids diet's the better. that can be true with some mamas and daddies too! ;) fresh or thawed berries make great toppings, as does yacon syrup and pure maple syrup. sometimes i get crazy and use jam and or peanut butter. but im just wacky like that.

my awesome milly (mother in law) got me a griddle that helps me to make 5 big pancakes at a time. i heat up that bad boy to 325 degrees and go to town! no pancake breakfast is complete without scrambled eggs and maybe a little turkey bacon or sausage. we go through so many eggs its ridiculous, like at least 2 dozen a week. we are going to try and make a coop once we get a house in a couple of years. but until then, costco is our supplier of organic eggs!

kaye's raw avocado chocolate pudding / pie

this makes a killer sweet treat that is full of healthy fats for your brain and body! i can't tell you how many times i have served this to non health enthusiasts and picky kids who have licked their forks clean! they have no idea its made with avocado, although i usually tell them afterwards! :) you can sprinkle some crushed almonds or walnuts on top or pour into a pie crust. a little bit of this rich pudding goes a long way, so its great for sharing with friends or having leftovers.

3 large or 4 medium avocados
1 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup honey (sometimes i use stevia or xylitol instead.)
3 tablespoons coconut oil
large pinch of salt, to taste

put all of the ingredients in the food processor or blender and mix till smooth delicious! dish it up and serve warm or if you can hold yourself back from eating it right away, it is really nice chilled. mmm...
it also freezes well, so you can store it away for when you need a quick chocolate fix!

for the crust, i do a combo of nuts (usually almond and/or macadamia), dates, coconut shreds and a some hefty shakes of salt  ground up in the food processor until a meal, then pressed into a pie plate. i never measure these things, but if you are into that im sure you can find some recipes online for a raw nut crust. you dont want to make it too sweet or gooey, so that its a nutty salty balance to your rich sweet pie.

poopkies!

okay so as the name implies, this recipe can get you rollin' if your pipes are a little backed up. for that reason, my father in law loves them. after trying them a good 5 years ago, he still talks about them and requests that i make him some! haha so funny! they are also delicious!

1 1/4 cup flour (i use rice or spelt)
1 1/2 cup oats
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt

1 cup softened organic butter
1 cup Xylitol
1 teaspoon non-bitter Stevia liquid
2 organic, free-range eggs

2 cups organic, fair trade chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts are best)

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, xylitol, stevia and vanilla in large mixer bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE in preheated 375-degree [Fahrenheit] oven for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 20, depending on how much of the dough you eat. : )

raw 'key lime pie'

we have served up this delicious pie several times without anyone ever suspecting that the main ingredient is avocados! since key lime pie is usually dyed green, the bright avocado looks great, rather than suspicious! also, because of the great color, you could use this recipe for a cute colorful treat for kids or for holidays. call it 'lime slime' or whatever gross thing will make kids (especially little boys) laugh!

there are so many things i love about this dessert. its very low in sugar, is full of healthy fats, the tangy sweet flavor is light and refreshing, and it takes hardly any time to make!
another thing i like about this recipe is that the avocados dont brown quickly because of the lime juice, so you can keep this pie in the fridge, covered in cling wrap, for a few days without any problems. if you can resist eating it all before then!
this recipe is from pg 243 in the awesome book, 'raw food real world'. they call them 'lime mousse tarts', i call them delicious! they also have a recipe for a nut crust. i'll include the original recipe here, although i usually do things a little different. you can make one regular, 9" pie from this, or 4 or more ramekins for individual servings.

their nut crust:

2 cups raw macadamia nuts
1 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened and dry
1 tbsp lime zest
1 tbsp lime juice
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 packets stevia powder
2 tbsp agave nectar

my simple nut crust:
1 cup raw almonds
1 cup raw macadamia nuts
1 cup coconut
1 tsp of salt, to taste
3-4 pitted dates.

whichever you use, the directions are the same. pulse these ingredients in a food processor till they are well combined but a bit chunky.if you over-process it can get too oily from the nuts. press this mixture into your pie holding device.

the lime filling:
5 ripe avocados, peeled and pitted -- duh!
1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup packed lime zest (from 6-8 limes)
1/4 cup agave nectar
2 tbsp coconut oil or butter
2 tsp vanilla extract or equivalent of vanilla powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
10 packets of stevia )or to taste.

my personal notes on the filling:
if you are in a pinch and only have bottled lime juice on hand, rather than the real limes, it will work just fine. ive done it that way, skipping the zest too, and it has turned out just fine. also, i think 10 packets of stevia is a little much, especially since you've already added agave nectar. stevia can be a little bitter or overpowering if you add too much. so i suggest adding about 4 packets, then taste it and see if you want it sweeter. if so, go for another packet and re-taste. i am of the persuasion that you should always use your noggin and your personal taste buds when using a recipe and go with what you like. after all, you are the one who is going to eat it! similarly, if you don't have stevia, you could sub for any other kind of granular sweetener, like sugar.

directions on filling:
mix all the ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. pour the green goop into your pie crust, cover with wax paper or plastic wrap and chill in the fridge or freezer. if you freeze the tarts, allow them to thaw for at least 15 min before serving. decorate top of pie with a few thin slices of lime if you want to be a fancy pants about it! enjoy!

raw vegan 'egg nog'

i make this every year for the holiday season, and it is a hit among everyone, even people who dont usually even like egg nog. its a recipe i got from victoria of the raw family. if you dont have a strainer bag of cheesecloth on hand to strain the drink, or if you are just lazy and in a pinch, you can use any kind of non dairy milk as your base, in substitution for the almonds and water. but the real deal goes a something like this:


1 cup raw almonds soaked overnight

2 cups water

4-5 dates

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

(i add a teaspoon of cinnamon too!)

Thoroughly blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Strain mixture through a nut milk bag. Pour into a jar.

Serves 4

raw chocolate chip cookies

this is a vegan, raw food, no bake/dehydrate cookie recipe! it is delicious too!
the link to the original recipe is below, but im going to type it out with the corrections and additions that i make when preparing them.

Cookie Batter:
1 3/4 cups cashew "flour" (finely ground cashews)
3/4 cup ground oat groats (or use all cashew flour for a much sweeter dough)
1/4 cup agave nectar (or yacon syrup or honey)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tbsp cup melted coconut oil

Chocolate Chips
-1/2 cup coconut oil
-1/2 cup carob
-1/2 cup cacao
(you can could use dutch cocoa instead of the two different chocolates if thats all you have, but that wouldn't be raw technically)

Assembly
In a large bowl, mix Cookie Batter ingredients by hand. in a blender, mix the chocolate chip ingredients together. put in a container and stash in the freezer. after frozen, chop into chunks. i find this is easier to do if you put them in ice cube trays and pop them out when needed.

Fold chopped up Chocolate Chips into the cookie batter. Form into balls and refrigerate. shouldnt take them long to firm up and be ready to eat. my husband likes to eat them just the way they are too!

mysticats raw chocolate chip cookie recipe

mexican dessert

when it comes to mexican food dinners, im at a loss on what to make for dessert that would pair well. after looking around a lot, i found and tried this recipe i got from the mission foods website. i dont see it posted there anymore, so i cant offer a link. here it is though:

2 Flour Tortillas
1 Tbsp. Water
1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/4 cup Sugar
1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
a few tbsp melted butter
2 cups light Whipped Cream or organic vanilla ice cream.
(use the fruit below as topping, or just fresh sliced mango!)
1 cup fresh Raspberries
3 fresh or canned Apricots sliced
1 Kiwi peeled, quartered and sliced

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine water and vanilla. Combine sugar and cinnamon.
2. Cut each tortilla into 8 triangles or use a 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter to press out shaped pieces. Lightly brush both sides of tortilla with melted butter. Lightly brush each side with water mixture and sprinkle each side with sugar mixture.
3. Place on a wire rack and set rack onto a sheet pan. (i used my toaster oven) Bake at 400 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.
Just before serving, top each with a dollop of whipped cream and arrange the raspberries, apricots and kiwi. (i just served with vanilla ice cream and fresh mango slices. it was delish!)

the body of Christ never tasted so good

so i have a confession:
my super rad friend emily bryant-soon to be 'rodriguez', makes a killer communion bread. when its her sunday to make bread, i want to go back for more! :) im sure you can make it as an addition to any meal.

ingredients:
1 c flour (i would use spelt)
1/2 stick organic butter
2 tbsp sugar, although i think honey would be nice.
pinch of sea salt
1/4 cup milk to mix

mix everything except the milk together in a bowl. then add milk to get a good doughy consistency. flatten out on a greased baking sheet and bake at 350 for 35 minutes.you can tell it's done when it's a delightful golden-brown on the edges.
amen!

my first cheesecake, to make of course!

ive eaten plenty. but in 2010, it was my time to make one. i consulted my dessert diva, sandra stayton, and she recommended this recipe and had some great tips. quote:

"They can be intimidating but you just have to remember to KEEP AN EYE ON IT while it is baking. That is the key to a good cheesecake. There two different ways you can make it. One being non-bake; the other being the baked kind. I prefer the baked one. They always come out creamier than the non-baked ones. Here is an amazing recipe that I found. Everything that I have ever made from this blog comes out perfectly. The instructions are laid out meticulously. Just remember, KEEP ON EYE ON IT while it is baking. P.S. KEEP ON EYE ON IT while it is baking!"

i got the feeling from her email that i should keep en eye on it while it was baking. so i did, but it happened quick! this experience taught me that my old oven heats up quicker than most, probably isnt accurate and gets hotter, and whatever is in the back burns easily. nice. so my cheesecake top didnt turn out perfect, but it didnt crack and wasnt totally ruined. i topped mine with thawed out frozen cherries, which covered up any boo-boos anyway. :) i brought it to my small group and everyone liked it, even the cheesecake masters, jana and larry gross. or maybe they were just being nice. but the leftovers dont lie: there weren't any! :)

cheesecake recipe
the pictures on this blog will have you wanting to lick your computer screen. not recommended though. its probably covered in dust and whatnot.

mexican cornbread

this baby takes about 20-30 min to prep, then bakes for about 1 hour, so plan ahead!
it is a very comforting and crowd pleasing dish.

note: this recipe is good to make a square pan casserole. i double the cornbread/dough part if i am making a larger pan/rectangle one. if you use the larger pan, you might also do more meat, cheese, and veggies if you want, but i usually dont.

whatcha need:

fillings:
-1lb ground organic beef or buffalo (could also use quorn's fake ground meat)
-1tbsp taco seasoning (or just cumin, pepper and sea salt)
-1 or 2 cups of cheese, depending on how much cheese you like!
-1 can of 'rotel' or equivalent. (i get the mild!) (there is an organic version in health food stores.)

cornbread/dough:

-1 cup organic yellow cornmeal
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-1/2 tsp salt
-2 organic eggs
-1 cup milk (i use non dairy)
-1 cup of organic corn swimming in 'milk' and butter (my homemade, healthier version of cream style corn. if you want to use just a can of cream style, thats your choice!)
-1/4 cup or less of butter or oil. (if your meat has a lot of oil to it, then i would add very little extra oil. lean buffalo tends to not have much oil, but lots of hamburger meat is pretty oily and you dont need to add extra!)

1st thing: start browning ground meat. add seasoning.
2nd: make the dough while the meat cooks. preheat the oven to 350.
3rd: mix all the cornbread ingredients together and pour half of it into the bottom of greased glass casserole dish.
4th: then layer evenly these items, in this order:

-all of the meat you just browned
-all the cheese
-the can of 'rotel'

then top off those layers with the last half of the cornbread batter and pop it into the oven!

its nice served with sour cream or guacamole on top, but even plain is great! : )

happy cooking!!

spelt waffles

we like to make these for special days, either for breakfast or dinner. i usually make extra (a double or triple batch) and freeze the leftovers. they save and reheat well in a toaster/toaster oven. take that egoo, you fake nasty waffles.

2 organic eggs (or 4 tbsp flax meal mixed with h20 to make a gooey egg-like mixture)
3/4 cup milk (i use non dairy kind)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup spelt flour (you can sub 1/4 of the flour w/flax meal if you didnt sub the eggs. adds fiber and omegas!)
1 1/2tsp baking powder (aluminum free is best!)
1 1/2tsp sugar (optional) i usually add a tad honey or stevia.
1/2 tsp cinnamon (makes everything taste better)
1/2 tsp sea salt

get to work:
plug in your waffle maker to start heating up. this is when i also like to take out a stick of butter and set on table so that when the meal is ready, it will be easier to spread into those convenient lil squares.

mix the eggs, milk and oil together. add the dry ingredients, and mix it all together. this is the moment where you could add in some kind of accent to your waffles, like chocolate chips, blueberries, bananas, etc. i dont usually do that, but i know some people like it. pour into waffle maker. as the maker does its thang, i like to set the table, or get going on the other additions to the meal, like scrambled eggs, fakin' or turkey bacon, etc.

i put the toaster oven on warm and store the waffles in there as i finish making the entire batch and other goodies. top with pure organic grade b maple syrup or fresh fruit or thawed out frozen blueberries. yum.

fruity oatmeal cookies

these are not homo cookies, but they might make you feel gay! (happy that is.) i say fruity because you can add whatever kind of dried fruit you want or happen to have lying around. i've used currants, raisins, cranberries, goldenberries/gooseberries, etc. you could also just add chocolate chips or add both! :)

whatcha need:

10 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup brown sugar or palm sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 organic eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 pinch salt
1 2/3 cups (spelt) flour (i like to replace 2/3 cups of the flour with ground flax or chia seeds)
1 cup rolled oats
2 cups cranberries
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

whatcha do:

preheat oven to 350 degrees.
mix butter and sugar until fluffy. add eggs and vanilla and mix well. in a separate bowl mix the flour, baking soda, and salt together. add the two mixtures together. stir in the oats. fold in nuts and dried fruit. drop spoonfuls of cookie dough onto ungreased cookie sheets, spaced at least 2 inches apart. (these cookies spread.)

Bake 8 to 10 minutes. cool a lil and enjoy!

blueberry pie

this pie will turn your mouth purple, but you wont care. its so yummy, yet healthy, you'll want to eat it for breakfast! try to use all organic ingredients. makes for a healthier, happier pie and consumers of said pie.

unbaked 9" pie crust:
1 1/2 cups butter
3 1/2 cups (spelt) flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup very cold water

filling:
3/4 cup sugar or xylitol
1/3 cup flour (i used spelt)
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
5 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
2 tsp cornstarch

topping:
1/3 cup packed brown sugar or palm sugar
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup (spelt) flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons butter
a couple of shakes of sea salt

to make crust, mix together flour and salt. id recommend slicing your butter up, then mixing it into the flour with a fork. add just enough water to hold it together, then press into pie pan.

preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

stir together the sugar, flour, and cornstarch. then mix in the lemon zest and lemon juice. next stir in the blueberries. if your blueberries are frozen, you will either have had to thaw them out before this, or if you are like me and making this without much notice, put them in a pot on the stove and add all these ingredients to after it thaws. put this mixture in the pie pan w crust.

next stir together the brown sugar, oats, flour, salt and cinnamon. mix in butter using a fork until crumbly. spread the crumb topping evenly over the pie filling.
bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until browned on top. it is good hot or chilled, so do whichever floats your boat. enjoy!

sherry's lentil soup

my sweet friend sherry birk made this soup for us when elijah was freshly hatched. it was delish! even though it would totally take away from the flavor, i'd probably make it without onions next time, as they do not like me! :)

red lentil soup recipe

yummy zucchini bread!

so this is just a re post of someone else's recipe, because i found theirs to be healthy enough and delicious on its own! i did use palm sugar instead of date sugar because that's what i have in my pantry, and added lots of nuts instead of chocolate chips. (some!) of these ended up in my freezer for when elijah is born. others ended up in my belly! :)

http://happyhealthybalance.blogspot.com/2009/08/best-zucchini-bread-ever.html

enjoy!

crazy kaye's banana nut bread!

okay so i am notorious for not following recipes exactly. its not because i can't, or that i think i can do it better, i'm just not exact about things + i like to make recipes a little healthier than they usually come. and everyone has different taste buds. my husband and i find a lot of dessert recipes turn out way too sweet for our tastes, so i almost always reduce the sugar by half. im also of the persuasion that just about everything tastes better with a little dash of cinnamon! :)

growing up, ingenuity was a survival trait in our family. we didn't have much, and we were taught to make do with what you have, and with an ounce of creativity, you could make it work. that philosophy has stuck with me and carries me along in the kitchen. if i'm out of an ingredient, i can't really justify a trip to the store for that one item, so i substitute or make do without it. where there seems to be a roadblock, i see an opportunity to try something new!

i wanted to preface any recipes i post with this explanation, because the recipes might seem 'weird' to the reader. but i assure you that i wont post any recipes that dont turn out delicious! :)

so today that brings us to banana nut bread. i was driven to make a healthy, handy snack that i could easily munch on while nursing elijah that took about 0 prep time. (now if i can only keep christopher from eating them all!!) i looked at several mainstream recipes and 'herbert-fied' them. i am sure you could make this even healthier by making it totally vegan and such, but lately ive been into real eggs and butter so i didn't forgo those! (i'm blaming it on the pregnancy!)

this recipe makes 1 big loaf + 1 full pan of muffins. you could cut it in half if you dont want to make that much, but you can either share some with a friend, freeze them for later, or find that they wont last long in your house! :)

2 cups flour (i used 1 cup spelt and 1 cup brown rice flour)

1 cup oats

1 cup of 'twister power' by navitas (just a mix of sprouted ground flax seeds, chia seeds, and brown rice)

1 cup sugar (i used honey powder, but you could easily use liquid honey too!)

3 tsp baking powder

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp cinnamon

6 ripe bananas

4 eggs or egg replacer

1/4 cup of butter or oil

1/4 cup of apple sauce (or just another stick of butter if you'd like!)

2 cups chopped nuts (i used walnuts)

i pureed the bananas in the food processor, then added the sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla. in a separate bowl, i mixed the dry ingredients, then combined them. lastly, i folded in the nuts.

preheat the oven to 350. grease up your muffin pans and/or loaf pans, pour batter in and bake until toothpick comes out clean! my oven is old and finicky, but it took the muffins about 15-20 min to bake, and the loaf i made took about 40 minutes. just watch your bread and test it out! :)

hope you enjoy making and eating these muffins!